The States Where Nurses Are Most and Least In Demand

Some professions are more regional than others. For example, you’re much more likely to work as a gaming dealer in Nevada or an automotive engineer in Michigan than in any other part of the country. On the other hand, some occupations exist in every state. For example, registered nurses are always in demand. But that doesn’t mean that every state offers equally attractive opportunities to those who work in the nursing profession.

A new report from Olivet Nazarene University, which used data from Indeed’s job listings, shows where nurses are the most and the least in demand. Let’s take a closer look at some of the findings that stand out the most.

Nurses are in high demand in most parts of New England, and in North Dakota, New Mexico, and Alaska.

According to this report, nurses are most in demand in the state of Massachusetts, where there are 22.9 nursing jobs listed per every 10,000 people. Other states in New England also have a similar level of demand, with the exception of Connecticut, which has just 14 jobs listed per every 10,000 residents. Vermont‘s rate is 19.9/10,000, New Hampshire‘s is 20.6/10,000, and Rhode Island‘s is 18.8/10,000. Other states outside of New England also find nurses in high demand: North Dakota (21 per 10,000), New Mexico (20.9 per 10,000), and Alaska (18.6 per 10,000).

The demand is especially low in parts of the Southeast, Utah, and Hawaii.

There are a few states in the Southeast where nurses are in especially low demand. In Mississippi, there are only 7.2 jobs listed for every 10,000 people. That’s the lowest of any state in the country. Louisiana isn’t far behind with a rate of 9.5, and Mississippi’s other neighbor, Alabama, comes in with a rate of 9.8. Figures are also low in Hawaii (7.4 per 10,000), and Utah (9.1 per 10,000).

Do You Know What You're Worth?

High salaries often follow when nurses are in high demand, and the reverse is also true.

According to this report, high salaries are often available in the states where nurses are most in demand. For example, nurses in Massachusetts earn almost $20,000 more than the national average. On the other hand, they earn less than that average in Alabama, where nurses aren’t in high demand.

The differences have a lot to do with states’ budgets.

The availability of nursing jobs and the pay rate for nurses has everything to do with states’ budgets. In many instances, funding for nurses in locations like schools and hospitals comes from local and state budgets. According to this report, states like Utah, which historically advocate for small-government policies, don’t have the funds for jobs and facilities that other states do. Hence, they have a lower demand for nurses and often offer lower pay to boot.

The rate also varies alongside the density of health-care facilities.

Not unrelated to state budgetary differences, demand for nurses varies according to how many healthcare facilities exist per capita. The report notes that Mississippi, which ranked as having the lowest demand for nurses of any state, also has the fifth-fewest healthcare facilities per capita of any state. So, it stands to reason they would have less jobs available there when compared with other areas.

Be sure to check out the full report for more information on other states.

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